'Downton Abbey' series four: Absolutely everything we know

Last time we caught up with the action in Downton Abbey, we were sobbing into a mince pie as we bid a shocking, unexpected and dramatic farewell to Matthew Crawley.

However, the show must go on and the fourth series is just around the corner (September to be precise) and the cast and producers have been teasing clues, hints and exciting plot details about what is in store at the Abbey.

Julian Fellowes didn't hold back with his brutal send-off for Matthew Crawley in last year's Downton festive special. And despite the wishes of a heartbroken nation, that car crash wasn't a dream and he was unable to make a miraculous recovery. He clearly wasted those magic powers on learning to walk again after the war.

Producer Gareth Neame has also defended that dramatic ending to the Christmas episode, describing it as a TV moment to "cherish".

"We did a complete reverse trick to that in the last episode," he said. "In the highest moment of happiness that Matthew and Mary ever had and then, after what was actually a relatively light episode with that holiday in Scotland, suddenly there's the sting in the tail.

"We are seeing a return to this must-see, in-the-moment drama. Those kinds of episodes are really what we have to protect and cherish to keep the stakes as they are, to keep this as a show that everyone has to watch."

Series four starts six months on from Matthew's death and Downton is mourning. Expect black, frowns and lots of tearful Michelle Dockery.

Allen Leech's Branson and Dockery's Lady Mary will form a bond over their lost lovers; however, wild speculation that the characters will start a romance have been denied by the pair. They could be bluffing us, but we doubt it.

Matthew's death will affect everyone in the household, upstairs and downstairs, but attempts to bring Mary out of mourning and to find her a new suitor will dominate the early episodes.

Every new character cast in series four of Downton has been tipped as a possible new suitor for Lady Mary, but amid the wild speculation and fanciful match-making from fans, there appear to be two genuine contenders.

The dashing Tom Cullen will play old family friend Lord Anthony Gillingham, who first appears at a party held to lift Mary's spirits. Will he help her forget Matthew?

Another possible contender is the rather handsome Julian Ovenden (Suits you sir! Suits you!), who plays the aristocrat Charles Blake. Maybe he's the one to win Mary's heart.

Speaking about possible romance for Mary, Gareth Neame told TV Line: "It's important to say that audiences are not going to want to see Lady Mary get back in the saddle by the first commercial break of the next episode and just find a new guy... But that said, there are plenty of avenues and outlets for romance in the fourth season because romance has always been at the center of the show."

You'll have probably already heard that the first black character, Jack Ross, has been added to the show for series four.

Played by Gary Carr, he will be introduced after Lady Mary, Lady Rose and Lady Rosamund are impressed by his musical talents during a trip to London. Ross will visit Downton, with his full band, and no doubt cause a bit of a stir.

Without Matthew by her side, how will Mary cope with being a single mother? Apparently we shouldn't look forward to seeing her change nappies just yet.

"She was never going to be a very maternal mother," Dockery told Collider.

"She's also within the aristocracy, and they didn't really see their kids very much. There's a nanny, and there will eventually be a governess looking after baby George.

"So, you don't see much interaction between the baby and Mary. Actually, to begin with, it's hard to bond with the baby because she's going through grief. She looks at him, and she sees Matthew. So, it's a slow process, with motherhood for Mary."

"Julian has this take that some people in life are lucky. And some people aren't. And Edith is definitely one of those unlucky people," said actress Laura Carmichael on the recent TCA press tour. So don't go expecting a massive turnaround in fortunes, Edith fans.

However, Carmichael has insisted that we will see a more "feisty" Edith in the new series as she spends more time in London. Carmichael has also branded her the "Carrie Bradshaw of the '20s", which excites us greatly.

And on the subject of Edith's love life? "She is still involved with her editor and it is a lot more complicated than that, which I'll just have to let you see without giving too much away," she teased.

Well, not in series four anyway. Phyllis Logan (Mrs Hughes) played down the chances of a fresh downstairs romance for the two much-loved characters.

"We still have a very nice working relationship. We still have occasional spats here and there. We still have a lot of respect for one another. We occasionally get to drink a glass of sherry together... not as often as I would like," said Logan.

Telephones, electricity, the motor car. Technology has moved on rapidly across the first three series of Downton and series four will feature the biggest change yet... the arrival of the electric whisk. How on earth will Mrs Patmore cope with such excitement?